It is an established fact that the most common cause of hair loss in men, male pattern baldness, is an inherited condition. Whether or not we have the predisposition to genetic hair loss (though not necessarily whether the gene is expressed) is down to the genes that we inherit from our family tree.

So, just because you experienced hair loss, it doesn’t follow that your son definitely will, too. Genetic pattern hair loss is not a dominant trait, nor does it follow predictable patterns. If you first started to notice a receding hairline in your early twenties, it stands that your son could begin to lose hair at the same time in the same way, could begin to bald later or not at all.

It’s All In The Genes

The latest research suggests that balding may not be dependent on just one gene, and research is still ongoing to determine exactly what genes lead to hair loss. All this points to a ‘cure’ for baldness being a rather long way off, despite the press ‘discovering’ a new one every other week. However, if you are looking to prevent baldness, there are two medications that can treat hair loss and that have been licensed by the MHRA and approved by the FDA (the UK and US medical regulatory bodies) for that purpose.

You cannot use either medication as a preventative measure, however once hair loss begins, a combined hair loss treatment plan is the most effective way to combat hair loss. The first of these medications, Propecia, works by blocking the androgen that causes pattern hair loss: DHT. Because DHT fulfills no useful function in the body after puberty, blocking it presents no problem. Propecia can be used by men over the age of seventeen.

The second proven medication, minoxidil, is a topical cream, and works by stimulating the hair follicles, even when follicles have been damaged by DHT to the extent that weak, wispy ‘baby’ hair is being produced. As with Propecia, providing hair has not completely ceased to grow, results can be produced, as is evident for the many patients in our success story blogs.

Like Father, Not Like Son?

Whilst Propecia is available in one standard daily dose, minoxidil is produced by Belgravia in a vairety of strengths up to our 12.5% minoxidil cream + azelaic acid (AA) which has shown to be particularly effective for treating a receding hairline. AA is one of three additional ingredients (the others being Medroxyprogesterone and caffeine) which appear to block DHT when applied locally, and as such it’s important that a hair loss specialist establishes the ideal minoxidil strength and formulation for each individual patient.

So,  it’s impossible to tell whether your son will begin to go bald, and if so whether he will begin sooner or later than you did. However, once hair loss has begun, a timely hair loss treatment programme containing the above medications and a variety of hair growth boosters, combined with regular check-ups at one of our Central London clinics to monitor progress, can both halt hair loss and regrow thinning hair, ensuring that just because balding is in your genes, you don’t have to put up with it.

The Belgravia Centre—————————————————————————————————–

The Belgravia Centre is the leader in hair loss treatment in the UK, with two clinics based in Central London. We offer clinically proven treatments for hair loss, as part of comprehensive treatment programmes offered by our hair loss specialists. Our in-house pharmacies produce high-strength medications for hair loss that contain medically proven ingredients and are available at no other clinic worldwide. Treatment programmes are available by visiting the centres or for home-use, anywhere in the UK or the rest of the world. View our hair loss success stories, which are the largest collection of such success stories in the world and demonstrate the levels of hair regrowth that so many of Belgravia’s patients achieve. You can also phone 0800 077 6666 for our hair loss helpline or to arrange a free consultation.

This entry was posted
on Friday, May 10th, 2013 at 2:47 pm and is filed under Hair Loss, Male Hair Loss.
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